The Route 66 town of San Bernardino, Calif., is considering “Modern Retro” and “Classic Simplicity” streetscape designs that partially take inspiration from its Route 66 past, according to the San Bernardino County Sun.
The former theme would be a throwback to Route 66 and the highway travelers who came West after World War II.
The design would rely on features like aluminum, steel, neon, succulent plants and palm trees to create a vintage look that calls back to a world of roadside diners and the early years of rock ‘n’ roll.
The second theme, “Classic Simplicity,” reaches even further into San Bernardino’s past. The concept is intended to recall the California of the early 1920s and 1930s, Barr said.
Design elements for the second alternative include basic building materials like iron and concrete. Other touches would include shady trees and Spanish-inspired architecture.
AECOM of San Diego is getting $200,000 fromthe city’s Economic Development Agency $200,000 for its designs. The city’s site for the streetscape proposals can be found here. AECOM’s initial ideas that were unveiled in September can be found here (35-page PDF file).
The city doesn’t have the money right now to do a complete overhaul. But its first priority for streetscaping will be the area for the California Theater, when it reopens as a movie house.
The California Theater opened in 1928, and is best-known for its architecture. It’s also where Will Rogers held his last performance before his fatal Alaska plane crash in 1935.
A BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT PLACE TO LIVE, THE DREAM OF ANYBODY IT WAS A PLEASURE TO WATCH IT ALL